JERUSALEM: UNITED STATES DISENGAGEMENT ENVOY JAMES WOLFENSOHN HOLDS TALKS ON POST EVACUATION ISSUES WITH ISRAELI OFFICIALS

Record ID: 338314

  • Title: JERUSALEM: UNITED STATES DISENGAGEMENT ENVOY JAMES WOLFENSOHN HOLDS TALKS ON POST EVACUATION ISSUES WITH ISRAELI OFFICIALS
  • Date: 3rd May 2005
  • Summary: (BN09) JERUSALEM (MAY 02, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. MV OUTGOING WORLD BANK CHIEF AND U.S. DISENGAGEMENT ENVOY, JAMES WOLFENSOHN MEETING WITH ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM, SAYING: "We believe that we should work together in order to co-ordinate with the Palestinians the implementation of the disengagement plan, at the same time we should work very closely in order to help the Palestinians to rebuild Gaza and to rebuild the Palestinian economy. I think it is very important for the Palestinian people even though we have, of course, some demands from the Palestinian Authority, from the Palestinian leadership." 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OUTGOING WORLD BANK CHIEF AND U.S. DISENGAGEMENT ENVOY, JAMES WOLFENSOHN, SAYING: "I am very anxious to contribute to what you want, which is a secure peace and our task is to work with you and your Palestinian colleagues to develop the economic and social activities from the Palestinian territories in Gaza and parts of the West Bank and in so doing make security more likely." 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHALOM, SAYING: "Before that I would like to add one more comment, Israel took a decision to help the Palestinians to rebuild their economy, of course if they will ask. We decided to enable them to rebuild the seaport in Gaza and to try to help them in every way we can with donor countries, after I felt that there is a donor conference. I tried to talk to most of the countries and tried to push them to keep their contributions and to give to the Palestinians in a way, of course, that it will be used after that for the benefit of their people and not for bribery or corruption. But still I think we should do everything we can while we keep our security." 5. WIDE OF MEETING BETWEEN SHALOM AND WOLFENSHOHN; OFFICIALS ATTENDING MEETING 6. SLV EXTERIOR OF FOREIGN MINISTRY 2.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVA95YH82MXID9JEUSG8I8L55PCM
  • Story Text: U.S. disengagement envoy hold talks on post
    evacuation issues with Israeli officials.

    U.S. Envoy and outgoing World Bank Chief James
    Wolfensohn held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan
    Shalom on Monday morning (May 2, 2005) in Jerusalem to discuss
    rebuilding the Palestinian economy following the pullout
    from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

    Earlier Wolfensohn met with Israeli Defence Minister
    Shaul Mofaz.

    Wolfensohn, who is entasked with aiding both Israelis
    and Palestinians in an upcoming Israeli evaucation from the
    Gaza Strip, arrived in the region on Saturday (April 30)
    for three days of talks with both Israeli and Palestinian
    officials.

    "I am very anxious to contribute to what you want,
    which is a secure peace and our task is to work with you
    and your Palestinian colleagues to develop the economic and
    social activities from the Palestinian territories in Gaza
    and parts of the West Bank and in so doing make security
    more likely," said Wolfensohn during a meeting with Israeli
    Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in Jerusalem.

    He met on Sunday (May 1) with Palestinian Prime
    Minister Ahmed Qurie in the West Bank city of Ramallah and
    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met privately with
    Wolfensohn, who was appointed this month as the Quartet's
    new economic envoy to assist in co-ordination of the
    Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

    "We believe that we should work together in order to
    co-ordinate with the Palestinians the implementation of the
    disengagement plan, at the same time we should work very
    closely in order to help the Palestinians to rebuild Gaza
    and to rebuild the Palestinian economy," Shalom told
    reporters during his meeting with Wolfensohn and added that
    there still exist demands from the Palestinian leadership,
    such as reining in militants.

    Wolfensohn has a mandate to focus on economic
    development in the territories and enlist international
    economic support to rebuild the Palestinian economy.

    Wolfensohn's visit is aimed at encouraging dialogue
    between the two sides to discuss what to do with the assets
    of the Gaza settlements left behind after the withdrawal -
    an issue that has not yet been resolved.

    Wolfensohn hopes to assist in developing an independent
    Palestinian economy, facilitating movement for
    Palestinians, helping Palestinian agriculture and building
    a welfare system for the Palestinian Authority.


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